A former entertainment executive turned career coach (and book author), dubbed the “Queen of Reinvention” by Fortune, Pamela Mitchell lives and breathes career transitions, sharing her fresh strategies for navigating in the midst of change with individuals, corporations, and industry groups countrywide. Learn about the steps she’s taken along her personal path to reinvention and pick up some practical tips to help get started taking steps towards making moves in your professional life.

In a sentence, what do you actually do all day in your job?

I help my clients reinvent their careers and live their dream life. I get such satisfaction from helping people create a big vision and step into a new life. And, by helping them, I help myself. I feel so fortunate that giving is built into what I do.

Did your career change ever involve taking a step down?

On Wall Street, I had reached the coveted title of Director. When I made the switch to entertainment, my first role wasn’t as director—it was manager. I didn’t think of it as taking a step back. I looked at it as a stepping stone that would propel me further in that industry and as a professional. And, it did just that—I quickly advanced.

Our work is really just a mechanism for creating the life we want to lead.

What’s the key to successfully reinventing yourself?

You have to be willing to learn and adapt. Don’t lose sight of the bank of skills, knowledge and experience you bring with you, much of which will be transferrable and provide a strong foundation. But you may have some gaps that need to be filled. In a professional setting, that could mean a change in title or level.

What’s the key to running a successful enterprise?

Recognizing that running a business is, at its heart, a spiritual journey. Long-term success as an entrepreneur must go beyond the mechanics and tactics of running a business to how you, as a founder and leader, are growing as a person to grow your business. In a corporate environment, you need to understand how to navigate the politics and effectively influence those who don’t work for you, but can help or hinder your own or your own team’s success.

What words do you live by?

“Practice whole-life success.” It’s what I do in my everyday life. It’s easy for one’s job or business to take over her life. But it’s important to remember that our work is really just a mechanism for creating the life we want to lead. And that doing well in our career at the expense of our mental and physical health or our personal relationships is not being truly successful.